After Loki had rested, he went to find Steve again. He found the supersoldier, unsurprisingly, in the gym.

"Training for the apocalypse?" Loki asked mildly from the doorway.

Steve turned from where he'd been furiously pummelling a punching bag.

"I didn't expect you to be up and about so soon," Steve commented.

Loki shrugged.

"I'm used to seizures by now. It's the headaches I don't enjoy."

Steve, yet again remembering his past, pitiable state, empathised with Alden.

"I wanted to be alone," Steve said, returning to the original question. "That damn Tesseract!"

With each word, he punched the bag and, with the final word, it was sent flying. Steve stared at it, downcast. Loki stayed silent, sensing that Steve had more to say.

"All I did was in order to save lives and then S.H.I.E.L.D digs the Tesseract up again, something that could kill thousands, if not millions of lives! We're meant to be able to trust them but I'm not so sure anymore."

"You know S.H.I.E.L.D was run by Howard Stark and Peggy Carter don't you?" Loki questioned quietly, unsure of the reaction he would get.

Steve stiffened.

"So, yet again, I should adhere to the wishes of those I left behind and be respectful of an organisation they built which has presumably gone to the dogs since?"

Loki hadn't expected there to be so much bitterness in the supersoldier.

"I'm not telling you what you should do," Loki replied, "Only informing you of the facts. S.H.I.E.L.D has the Tesseract. As part of the organisation you can try to make sure they use it for good."

"And how do they do that?" Steve asked sarcastically.

"They don't," answered Loki simply. "The Tesseract is not to be used by mortal men."

"So you keep saying."

"I only talk of things I understand," Loki pointed out. "And I understand that you are keeping your anger pent up when you should be letting it out."

"You think I'm not letting it out?" Steve asked, gesturing to the broken punching bag on the floor.

Loki was unperturbed. Thor's childish tantrums were far worse than this.

"Okay, let's rewind," he said. "In an ideal world, what would you want to do?"

"Get a job, buy an apartment, move on."

"Step one: you've already got a job. S.H.I.E.L.D are paying for your living expenses so you could realistically buy an apartment at some point. I have to warn you, though, inflation has been on the rise since the 1940s."

Loki didn't know why he'd decided to go for the tough love approach. Did Steve need realism or friendship?

"I want a proper job," Steve shrugged. "Where my job isn't my body or what it can do."

"Tony would die of laughter if he knew you wanted to get a job," Loki pointed out. "I'd let him buy you an apartment or, better still, put you up at the tower."

Steve looked sad.

"I don't understand what he has against me. Howard and I were good friends."

Loki sighed.

"The Howard you knew and the Howard he knew were very different. From all accounts, Howard Stark was a brilliant, pleasing young man. But I've gathered from what Tony has said that Howard was a poor father who often dismissed him. They didn't get on at all."

"Tony is very like how Howard was. But I doubt he'd be happy to hear that."

"No, perhaps not."

There was a pause.

"I'll try and change Tony's mind," Loki promised. "Chances are he'll come round to you in the end. He always does. He pretends to hate everyone but really he's just distrustful of everyone."

"For good reason, I expect."

Loki froze, thinking about Daniel and Tony's kidnapping. Steve didn't notice.

"Obadiah Stane was a friend of Howard's, wasn't he? After my time, of course."

"Yes... Yes, he was."

If Steve now noticed Loki's hesitation, he didn't say anything.

"He's had a tough life," Steve said with a sigh. "I don't want to make things harder for him."

"That's... Good to hear."

Loki was now staring blankly ahead but Steve didn't appear to notice.

"So you recommend that I should let Stark provide for me?"

"He's got enough money to do so," Loki shrugged, shaking off his memories. "If it makes you feel better, I could give you the money. I own half the company after all. People forget that I'm also a billionaire."

"Do people often find you intimidating?" Steve asked suddenly.

"Only when I'm smiling," Loki replied neutrally.

The Warriors Three and Sif had been very wary of his wolfish smile.

Steve shook his head, laughing.

"I couldn't accept that offer," he replied.

"Hey," Loki said, "I'm offering you a choice. Tony - he'll force you."

"Out of the kindness of his heart?"

"Always. I said he'll warm up to you."

"It's going to take him more than a day to do that."

"We'll see about that," Loki said with a mysterious smile.

"Aldennnnn," came a wheedling voice.

"Yes, Tony?" Loki replied, sighing.

Tony turned the corner and, though he paused momentarily upon seeing Steve there too, quickly recovered.

"Hiya Capsicle," he said cheerfully, although Loki knew it was a façade. "There are some female agents eager to see you punch a thing or two, if only you'd let them."

Steve looked uncomfortable.

"That 'thing'," commented Loki, "Is likely to be your face, Tony, if you don't shut up."

Tony gave Loki a deeply offended look.

"Fine, if you want to be that way."

He looked back at Steve, who didn't seem to know what to do.

"Natasha is waiting for everyone on the flight deck," he said.

"Everyone including us?" Loki inquired.

"Yeah, of course," Tony replied flippantly, "But life isn't a race and I wanted a word with you."

"I'll see you in a bit then," Steve said warily. "Thanks for the talk, Walker."

"Please, call me Alden," Loki replied with his best and brightest smile.

Tony shifted beside him, aware that he was using one of his best charms.

"Okay, Alden," Steve said with a smile, "See you around."

"See you."

*****

A.N. I'd call that a fairly light-hearted chapter. Steve and Loki chat and talk about the important things in life: namely, money, and housing. xD

Thank you for reading!